The way we think about identity in cybersecurity is undergoing a seismic shift. It’s not just about passwords and logins anymore—modern attackers don’t have to force their way in when they can simply trick their way in. Thanks to the rapid rise of generative AI, today’s threat actors are bypassing traditional defenses by impersonating users with uncanny precision.
Deepfakes, voice cloning, and AI-powered social engineering aren’t science fiction—they’re real, scalable, and happening right now. And that means organizations can no longer afford to treat identity security as a single checkpoint. The entire lifecycle of identity—from onboarding to offboarding—must be secured.
New Era, New Tactics: How Attackers Leverage AI to Infiltrate
In the past, malicious actors relied on brute-force attacks or phishing emails to compromise user credentials. While those threats haven’t disappeared, AI has supercharged adversaries. They can now use deepfake videos or synthetic voices to impersonate executives and trick employees into granting access or transferring sensitive data.
These tactics target the soft spots in human-centered processes. For example, a convincing voice message from what sounds like your CFO asking for urgent wire transfers. Or an onboarding process that fails to properly verify a new contractor—who turns out to be a bad actor using stolen or generated credentials.
The bottom line? Identity-based attacks are no longer just technical challenges; they exploit human trust. That requires a completely new way of thinking about security—from a lifecycle perspective.
What Is Identity Lifecycle Security—and Why Does It Matter?
Identity Lifecycle Security means safeguarding every phase of a user’s journey across your digital infrastructure. This includes identity creation and verification, role-based access throughout their tenure, continuous monitoring of behavior, and secure deactivation once access is no longer needed.
Without holistic visibility, cracks inevitably form. Attackers thrive in these gaps—whether by exploiting dormant accounts, taking over low-privilege users, or mimicking legitimate behavior to blend in. Organizations need layered defenses that adapt dynamically across this journey, not just a single set-and-forget login screen.
From Prevention to Persistence: How to Build Resilience Against AI-Powered Threats
Securing the full identity lifecycle isn’t about simply buying another tool—it’s about shifting the security mindset. That means combining multiple pillars of defense: identity proofing, behavioral analytics, continuous authentication, and just-in-time access policies that shrink the attack surface.
When an attacker inevitably gets through—because some will—it’s your ability to detect abnormal behavior fast that makes the difference. AI helps the bad guys, but it also powers smarter defenses. Modern identity platforms are now leveraging machine learning to flag anomalies in context: Who is accessing what, where, and why?
And those insights can trigger adaptive responses—such as enforcing step-up authentication, revoking tokens, or alerting security teams—without interrupting productivity for legitimate users.
Join a Live Security Briefing with Experts from Sectigo and Sanderson
To help decision-makers, security practitioners, and IT leaders understand how to secure the entire identity journey, Sectigo and Sanderson have partnered for an exclusive live webinar: “Your Guide to Securing the Entire Identity Lifecycle Against AI-Powered Threats.”
This virtual event will unpack real-world examples of emerging identity threats, walk through the critical gaps most organizations overlook, and share proven frameworks to design for resilience in the face of persistent, AI-enhanced adversaries.
Here’s what you can expect to gain from the webinar:
• A breakdown of the modern identity threat landscape
• Key mistakes most teams make when thinking about identity
• Architectural strategies to detect, respond, and recover from identity-based breaches
• Actionable steps to integrate security across every phase of the identity lifecycle
Event Details:
Date: Tuesday, April 30, 2024
Time: 12 PM EST / 9 AM PST
Cost: Free (limited seats available)
Register here to reserve your spot.
Don’t Secure Just the Identity—Secure the Whole Journey
The cyber threats of tomorrow are already here today, shaped and accelerated by AI. If you’re still thinking of identity protection as a single gate to guard, you’re already behind. Attackers are thinking in terms of lifecycle access—you should too.
Whether you’re a CISO, IT leader, or just responsible for identity and access management, this webinar will equip you with the context and strategies to defend your organization from end to end. Because in 2024, securing the perimeter isn’t enough. It’s time to secure the path.
Join the briefing to get ahead of identity-based threats—before they take hold.
